


All the Time We Need

by taramisu



Category: Star Wars, Star Wars Sequel Trilogy
Genre: Ben Solo Needs A Hug, F/M, Hurt/Comfort, Jedi Ben Solo, Rey Needs A Hug, Romance, Time Travel, Time Travel Fix-It, Young Ben Solo, Young Rey
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-04-16
Updated: 2020-04-30
Packaged: 2021-03-02 02:47:13
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 11
Words: 16,436
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/23687905
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/taramisu/pseuds/taramisu
Summary: After the events of TRoS, Anakin sends Rey back in time to save the galaxy... And Ben Solo.
Relationships: Rey & Ben Solo
Comments: 5
Kudos: 71





	1. Chapter 1

The celebration had gone on way into the night; too far into the night. Poe had made at least six drunken passes at her, Rose lost her pants at some point and Finn was passed out in the corner, a thin line of drool slowly making its way down the corner of his mouth. Apparently Stormtroopers did not regularly indulge. While the win had undoubtedly been extraordinary and worthy of such celebration, the losses weighed heavily on Rey. Oh, she had smiled, hugged, joked and laughed right along with her friends. And it had almost felt…freeing…to be without the threat of Palpatine looming over her existence and consuming her every waking thought. But without that purpose, without the focus it gave her, her mind was free to dwell on the magnitude of what had been lost.

So many losses. 'How do people deal with this?' she thought, not for the first time. The advantage of having no one is that you couldn't lose anything. While her fears on Jakku could never be matched in desperateness, the loss of those things she had once longed for bore into her soul painfully and insistently. She had once imagined she found family in the Skywalkers until each one had left her. No, that wasn't true. They hadn't left. But she could never bring herself to use that word – the one of finality. While leaving suggested a temporary situation, death did not. One by one they had fallen. Han. They would have travelled the galaxy together and she would have finally had something akin to a father. Luke. He could have been an amazing mentor and Master to her and she would have finally had direction. Leia. She was an amazing mother to Rey and would have continued to be so. And one other. She resisted his name in her mind, but she never could prevent the vision of his face, elated from their kiss, from invading her thoughts. For the shortest time, they had been…well, what they would have been she would now never know. The man who had been so thoroughly interweaved into her thoughts for so long. She had never been truly alone in that long year and as much as she had cursed their bond at the time; it had been such a joy to be close to another human, if just mentally. And now that, too, was gone.

The next morning, amidst the Resistance fighters' chirping conversations of hopeful plans for the future, she had reached her limit. It was time to regroup, do some thinking…planning. Without a purpose, no matter how oppressive and terrifying, she was lost. She said her heartfelt goodbyes and halfhearted promises to rejoin them after her pilgrimage. Then to Tatooine.

She had expected to disembark and feel a sudden wave of kinship for Luke. They had both, after all, grown up on dreary, desolate planets as orphans. But Rey felt only disappointment. Tatooine was just another sandy, beige world that fought life in every form. But it was from where the Skywalkers originated and she would use this unforgiving place to honor their legacy. The lightsabers slowly buried themselves with her deft use of the Force, and with that, her final mission was complete.

A winged insect flew across her path, its wings beating out a soft, whir. She absentmindedly wondered how it found water to survive out here, far from a functioning vaporator. And what could it possibly eat? As far as the eye could see, there was nothing green, nothing edible. Just sand. God, she hated sand.

"Rey."

Having gotten very used to hearing voices, rather a single voice, in her head, Rey was not certain if this one came from within or not. She stilled, concentrating on it, too afraid to hope that it could be him.

"You did an amazing job, Rey. We are so proud of you and owe you everything."

Not from her head. Definitely behind her. A voice she had heard before…at the precise moment she needed it most. "Master Skywalker?" She excitedly turned to see, not a person exactly, but a form, shimmering in blue light. And not the one she expected. In fact, no one she had ever seen. Her expression plainly revealed her confusion.

The apparition said, "Well, yes, but I imagine you were expecting Luke?" She wanted to ask who he was, but it felt, well, rude. As if the apparition could read her thoughts, he continued, "I'm Anakin Skywalker." Then, when she continued to stare soundlessly, he added, "Luke's father."

"Oh! Hello. Um, why are you here?" Rey winced at her words, knowing that she sounded rude anyhow.

"Aside from thanking you, which, I believe I have done, I need a favor," Anakin said.

"A favor?"

"Well, we have a problem; one that we are hoping you will consent to remedy. It has come to our attention that Darth Sidious, Palpatine, still lives and…" Anakin trailed off at her expression of confusion and abject terror.

"No." Her word was not uttered in answer, but in disbelief. "You can't be serious?!"

"He's always been obsessed with immortality and, well, he's had the time, the resources…"

Rey interrupted. "This is not happening."

"It is, I assure you."

"I killed him."

"You did."

"He's dead."

"He's not. The body he previously inhabited is, once again, dead. He has dozens of clones in suspension, just awaiting his soul should his current body die. It's exactly what happened when I killed him the first time."

That drew her up short. "He's still out there…waiting to…" Her voice drifted off as she found the conclusion too horrible to express out loud. Her imagination took her to a dark place where she lived every moment in fear of being found; always on the run from her grandfather and never being allowed to just live in peace.

Anakin said, "Listen, Rey. This is not as impossible as it seems. Now that we know what he's doing, we know what to do on our end. We know how to end him…permanently. We just need someone strong enough to kill him again."

Rey threw her hands in the air and nearly yelled. "Oh, that's all you need! Well, why didn't you say so in the first place? It all went so well the first time, didn't it? I died! Did you see that part? And I had back-up that time. I had…" Her voice trailed off as she nearly broke with the thought of Ben's name. After a moment, she continued, "I have no one this time. How the hell am I supposed to find Palpatine? And when I manage that, ALONE, how the hell am I supposed to defeat him? There's no way!"

At that, Anakin smiled broadly. "Well, as for that, the Whills have decided that the galaxy cannot handle another rise of his. Life has already been decimated, the galaxy gutted. It will not likely survive another war like the last two. The balance has been disturbed for too long and they have made this unprecedented decision. You will be going back in time, to repeat your actions on Exegol." She opened her mouth to continue her rant, to ask how she could possibly fix what she was lucky to accomplish in the first place, but he cut her off. "As I said, now we know what needs to be done. It's all on us. You just need to give us another opportunity to bind his essence and banish it."

She immediately saw Ben's face, previously in elation, falling into blankness. She was grabbing at him as he fell backwards. And now he was lying on the ground, motionless. And, now, he was vanishing. Gone. She could not, would not live that again. She slowly shook her head.

"Rey. Look at me." Reluctantly she did so, her eyes moist and face tense. "There's a reason I'm here, and not someone more familiar to you." At her confusion, he continued. "I'm here to ask you for more. Something the Whills would never have allowed, had I bothered to ask." He took a moment and an unneeded breath. "I need you to save my grandson. Please help me save Ben."

"The moments ticked away. She couldn't believe what she had just heard. For all intents and purposes, she had saved him. She promised Ben she would help him turn back to the light and he had spectacularly succeeded. Her anger rose and wrapped around her like a cloak. What more could she do?! What the hell did he expect of her? "You had plenty of opportunity to do that yourself!" she nearly spat at him. "I spent the better part of a year in his head, you know. I saw him desperate for help…begging for relief from his conflict. Yet, he only heard from HIM. His parents threw him away, Luke tried to kill him, and you never came. You never once came to him." When she was done, she was shocked and ashamed at the vitriol that had passed through her lips. Where had that come from?!

Anakin nodded. "You're right. But I did try. I tried every day, every moment, but he never heard me. Obi-Wan and I both came to Luke, and hell, even Leia; no one ever heard. Darth Sidious had placed a powerful block and we never did find a way to circumvent it. You have every right to be angry…"

Her shame burned white hot within her. "I don't. I'm sorry, Master." Rey hung her head, embarrassed by her outburst.

Anakin flinched at the term. "Please, Rey. Even Jedi have the right to their emotions. It's how we use those emotions, or rather, if we allow those emotions use us, that makes the difference. Don't ever forget that."

Silence fell yet again as Rey processed this.

"They want you to go back to those moments on Exegol. Defeat him again, then continue on with the timeline." After a brief pause, he continued, "but I'll be sending you back a bit further."

"But, what do I do differently this time? I don't understand."

"You will."

She gave one quick nod in consent. At that, the landscape began to fade into blackness. Once the blinding brightness of Tatooine had completely disappeared, she began to see soft – vague shapes in the dark. While she certainly wasn't on Luke's Tatooine home, all she could tell was that she was…somewhere else.


	2. Chapter 2

When her eyes finally adjusted to the low light, she managed to deduce that she was indoors, in a bedroom, at night. She stood next to a bed, its covers rumpled and its occupant's head peeking out. After another few moments, her eyes could make out the dark…black hair and familiar profile. Rey gasped. His name was upon her lips as tears sprang to her eyes, "Ben." She said the name like an epithet. He was alive, and here, and all she had to do was reach out and he would be beneath her fingers; close enough to take into her embrace and kiss until he understood what he meant to her. But then she remembered herself. She was not in quarters on a starship. This place was primitive, warm and earthy, not a place in which Kylo Ren would be caught dead. This was not likely a Ben she knew at all. Had he not yet turned to the Dark Side? And by extension, had he not even met her yet? But before she could answer any of her questions, the door opened.

In the doorway stood the silhouette of a man in Jedi robes, the outline of a lightsaber at his hip. Had she made some sort of noise when she arrived, alerting someone to her presence? After staring at each other for a moment, the figure asked in a familiar voice, "Who the hell are you?"

At the sound of Luke's voice, something inexplicably became clear. Something within told her that Luke hadn't come here to investigate her arrival at all. He just happened to be coming for another reason. Suddenly, the absolute truth of this moment crystallized in her mind. This was the night. The night that Ben turned. The night his uncle, charged with saving his soul, tried to take his life. The night it all went to shit. And now she knew why Anakin hadn't bothered to discuss details with her. Sending her back to this particular moment required nothing on her part but sheer presence. Oh, explanations would certainly need to come later, but for now, she had saved Ben.

Rey rose and with uncharacteristic confidence, squeezed passed him and out the door, beckoning for him to follow without looking back. Luke followed, closing the door silently behind him. "Now, tell me who you are and what you want with my nephew."

"Oh, Master Luke." She drank in the sight of him, appearing much younger looking for which just a handful of years would account. "There's so much to say. I have no idea where to begin. I don't even know how to make you believe me."

"Why don't you start at the beginning, kid?" When she didn't continue right away, he narrowed his eyes and added, "Do I know you?"

She sighed. "No. Not yet."

Luke misinterpreted her pause for a lack of forthcoming information. "You're gonna have to give me a bit more than that if you don't want to be turned over to the authorities for trespassing."

"Your father sent me." The sentence had the effect she was looking for. He was listening now.

"My…father?" Clearly, he thought she was either a very bad liar, or perhaps mad.

"I'm from the future. A future where things went very badly. Palpatine returned, Ben turned and nearly everyone you care about is dead. You, Leia, Han, everyone at this academy. Anakin came to me with a proposition. The Force wanted to finally obtain balance. We need to kill Palpatine again. Then they, the Jedi, will dispose of his soul. I don't know how, I didn't ask."

"That makes no sense. My father killed him. There's no way he survived that fall. If what you say is true, then where's he been for the last 30 years? In hiding? What, was he taking the time to perfect his Sabacc game? So, the question remains: who the hell are you?" He set a piercing gaze into her very soul.

Patience was not really her strong suit. Sure, she could patiently piece together an electronic part or droid, repair a tricky malfunction on an aircraft, but dealing with people had never been her thing. In a desperate attempt to explain the situation, she offered her hands, palm out. Nodding at them, she encouraged Luke to place his in them. He reluctantly did so. Within a moment, she completely flooded his mind with images, emotions, a year full of events that, now, had never happened. It was terrifying. It was suffocating. It was real. Luke, out of breath, snatched back his hands and stared at her in horror. "What was that?!"

"That is what we need to change."

One bead of sweat lazily found a path down his face. "I tried to kill my own nephew."

"Tonight, in fact, yes," she added.

Luke continued, staring into the distance at nothing. "I turned Ben to the Dark Side. He destroyed my academy. He killed his father. He…you! You brought him back."

"Palpatine corrupted him. He tore Ben down over years with his lies and promises." And then it hit her. She may have interrupted the timeline today, but she had not fixed the problem. He was still very much the broken, lonely man who was easy to push over the edge. A permanent solution would not be as easy as she had first assumed.

Then Luke's face lit up. "That's why my father came to you, isn't it? Aside from banishing Sidious, he wanted you to save Ben."

"Yes."

Happy to have a light of hope, Luke asked, "Ok. What's the plan, then?"

"My plan was that you, Leia and I will find him and kill him, hopefully with no casualties on our side this time."

He waved her comment away. "No, with Ben. What do we need to do?"

Rey flushed and looked at the ground. "With all due respect, sir, I think I'll take that up with Ben."

"That boy needs real help, Rey. He's always been uncontrollable. I think a Jedi Master would know better how to…"

Her voice came out a bit more harshly than she had intended, "Ben is not a child anymore, Master Skywalker. And, frankly, neither am I. Also, I must point out that you and his parents have not exactly handled the situation well up until this point. Together, he and I will find a way to help him."

When she looked back at Luke's face, it was as flushed as hers. He was obviously not used to being spoken to in this manner. He put up his hands. "Alright. I guess I have an incredibly strange and difficult conversation to have with my sister. You can stay in that hut next to Ben's. It's empty. Breakfast is at first light. Get some sleep, Rey." He stalked away, not giving her a second glance.

Uncharacteristically, she was asleep before her head hit the pillow. However, it was not a restful sleep as she had nightmare after nightmare – the same recurring ones she'd had for as long as she could remember. A shrouded beast determinedly pursued her, but she could not manage to run, her feet feeling as if they were mired in tar. Then she was in the middle of nothing, nowhere; no walls, no floor, no ceiling, just white as far as the eye could see. The overwhelming loneliness bore down into her soul creating actual pain in her chest, threatening to consume her. Then, when that wasn't enough, she relived the memory. Cold, unforgiving darkness wrapped around her as she struggled to open her eyes; when she did, she saw Ben before her – not Kylo Ren. She kissed him, they smiled, he fell. She screamed his name and reached for him in a fruitless gesture, for within seconds, he was gone.


	3. Chapter 3

He never had been a particularly good sleeper, always waking to the slightest noise. And, to add insult to injury, could never fall back to sleep once he did wake. This night, he awoke to hushed voices outside his hut. Master Luke was having a discussion with…someone right outside. He couldn't place the other voice, and didn't care to. Why couldn't Luke have done this somewhere that wasn't right at his door? Ben angrily sighed, turned over, punching at his pillow to make it more comfortable, hoping to avoid another night staring at the ceiling.

At one point, the voices became a bit louder and he could actually make them out.

"No, with Ben. What do we need to do?" A familiar anger rose in him. His family had quite the penchant for discussing him as if he weren't there, couldn't hear and had no right to control his own destiny. He had heard enough conversations between his parents about him. His favorite was when his father had actually called him a monster. That was the high point of his childhood, right there.

"With all due respect, sir, I think I'll take that up with Ben."

"That boy needs real help, Rey. He's always been uncontrollable. I think a Jedi Master would know better how to…"

"Ben is not a child anymore, Master Skywalker. And, frankly, neither am I. Also, I must point out that you and his parents have not exactly handled the situation well up until this point. Together, he and I will find a way to help him."

"Alright. I guess I have an incredibly strange and difficult conversation to have with my sister. You can stay in that hut next to Ben's…" but what else Luke had said faded away, becoming unintelligible as he walked off.

He had no idea who this "Rey" was nor why she seemed to know so much about him nor why she would be defending him.

Ben had lost himself in thought and lost track of time. The next thing he knew, there was a loud scream from outside. Someone screaming his name!

Without conscious thought, he sprung from his bed and sprinted the short distance to where the voice had originated. A quick survey of the room revealed no danger, nothing amiss…aside from the fact that no one was assigned to this hut but someone was here. The stranger was asleep, apparently having a nightmare as her breathing was rough and she seemed to be reaching out. 'Well, this is awkward,' he thought, then shook her shoulder gently.

She sat up immediately, out of breath, hair plastered to her face with sweat, unsure of where she was.

"Sorry. You were, um, yelling, in your sleep."

Rey dropped her face into her hands wanting desperately to climb into a very deep, very dark hole. "I'm so sorry. I woke you."

"No. I don't really sleep." They both fell silent. Rey's embarrassment grew as her mind cleared away the cobwebs of bad sleep and she realized who this was. She had not given any thought yet as to how she would explain the situation to him and certainly couldn't get her mind to work now anyhow. So, naturally, he asked, "Who are you? You seem a bit old to be a Padawan."

She looked him in the eye. "I'm Rey."

"Ben. But you knew that already. Who are you?" She sighed. Clearly she wouldn't be getting out of this conversation tonight. "Why do I feel like I know you?" She let the silence grow until it was uncomfortable between them. In the end, she opted for the truth, as ridiculous as it seemed.

"We…we knew each other in a different time line."

His expression remained neutral. Had she not known him and had not had the benefit of a bond with him, she would have assumed he had not heard her at all. She could feel their bond was still there. No doubt about that. But it was much weaker than she was accustomed to. She couldn't quite glean his thoughts, just the general shape and a vague sense of his emotions. His mind was frantically trying to make sense of something that had no business making sense. But at least he wasn't straight out calling her a liar and stomping out.

"A different time line," he said. "You must know how that sounds."

"Of course. But it's the truth."

Seeming to be putting the comment aside, he asked, "So, what is it, exactly, that you wanted to take up with me?"

"Huh?"

"Thin walls. Light sleeper. Next time, have your conversations where they can't be overheard." Just a hint of a smirk and a raised eyebrow softened his words.

She stared blankly at him, completely at a loss for what to say. Her lack of preparation for this conversation was not helping. "This is really a conversation for another time. How about we…"

"Now is as good a time as any. Better, actually. No little ears to overhear." Rey suddenly found the blanket very interesting as she fingered it repeatedly. When she showed no signs of continuing, he sighed and changed tactics. "In your timeline – how do we know each other? Were you a student here?"

"No." She took a deep breath in resignation. "Everything that happens…it's a lot. It'd be easier if you let me show you." She held her hands out to him. He glanced at them, looked back up to her face, then deciding, reached out tentatively, taking hold of her small hands.

The flood of images and sounds shocked him to the core. He stopped breathing and his heart began to race. Pain suffused through his face as he saw himself change into something he never imagined becoming. It burned knowing he was just one action away from turning to the Dark Side. Right at the precipice. He watched helplessly as he murdered people for no reason other than that he could – razed entire villages - drove a red lightsaber blade through his father's chest – tortured people for information, ripping through their minds. And through it all, this small spitfire of a woman. Her. Rey. She had insisted that he was not lost, when he, himself, knew he certainly was. She fought against him, fought for him, fought by his side and died by his side. When their hands disconnected – who had pulled away? – the small room was filled with the sound of sobbing; sobbing that did not come from her, but from himself. He crouched on his hands and knees where he had collapsed on the floor at her feet. He couldn't move. An endless litany of "I'm so sorry!" poured from his lips. Just when he thought the heart breaking pain would never end, he felt a soft hand on his shoulder accompanied with a wave of…forgiveness and something else that he couldn't quite name. He looked up at her through his tears and she said with impossibly gentle empathy, "Ben."

It took more than a while for him to get control of himself. Rey longed to take him in her arms and show him that he was not alone – convince him he'd never be alone again if she could help it - but she sharply reminded herself that this was not the Ben she knew. She was a stranger to him and it wouldn't be fair to expect him to retain feelings for her – feelings that belonged to another man in another time. Nor did she want him to ever feel pressured into returning whatever it was she felt for him.

When his sobs had finally subsided and his breathing had slowed, he angrily wiped at his face. "So, did you…does Luke know? What happened? What he did?"

"Yes."

"Good," he spat.

"Please don't be angry with him." Ben took a breath and she anticipated an argument about to erupt from him. "And don't be angry with your parents or anyone else who failed you. There's lots of blame to go around, but let's all blame the right person here. Palpatine. He manipulated you; manipulated Luke and your parents. He lied to you. He made you feel alone. He made you feel as if there was only one choice for your future. He's the one who deliberately set out to do this horrible thing." When he did not look mollified, she continued. "So, you can either choose to hold onto anger for those who love you, or you can focus it on that bastard, and help us kill him. You in?"

After a few moments, the anger seemed to melt away and a smile crept across his face. "I'm in."

She sent him back to his hut under the guise of "getting some sleep"; sleep both knew would not be coming for either of them.


	4. Chapter 4

The minute the sun rose, Rey heard a small knock at the door. She didn't need to ask who was there for she felt him before he even knocked. She opened to the door to nothing short of a miracle and greedily took in the sight: Ben, seven years younger, without the physical or mental scars upon his face, wearing the light colors of the Jedi…and a smile. God, she could count on one finger the times she'd seen him actually smile. It took every ounce of control to not embrace him.

"Breakfast?"

"Still a man of few words, I see."

This won her another smile. At this rate, she'd need to break out that second hand to keep count.

"Yes."

They laughed together and her heart almost broke at the beauty of the sound.

Breakfast was a simple affair: meal replacement bars and something resembling oatmeal with unidentified berries. People of all ages and species sat in small groups at evenly spaced tables, talking and laughing. She looked around the room, searching for the only other familiar face she would find. "He's not here," Ben said around a mouthful.

"Oh. I was hoping to start planning. I can't stand this looming over me again. It was hard enough to live it the first time."

He swallowed hastily and said, "He left. I'm teaching this morning."

"What?!"

"So, what part is it that surprises you? That he's suddenly, mysteriously off planet or that I'm teaching the younglings?"

"Master Luke leaving, of course. I'm sure you're a great teacher." But the final word trailed off as she sharply remembered his anger-fueled offer to teach her the ways of the Force. The offer to teach her nothing that she had wished to learn.

"He mentioned something about following a lead to Pasaana." This sparked some irritation in Rey as Luke hadn't bothered to speak with her before leaving. She knew exactly what he was doing, but did he? She was the one, after all, who ultimately found the dagger and the wayfinder. On the other hand, she had shown him all of her memories from the last year. Hopefully he had payed attention.

"Hey! No one told me we had a new student, Ben." Rey snapped out of her musings to see three people standing over her at the table, one having extended his hand to her in greeting. She silently cursed herself for, yet again, neglecting to come up with a believable cover story. She looked hopefully at Ben to see him hastily change his expression from…something…to a pleasant enough smile.

"Rey, this is Tai. He's the self-appointed Academy Welcome Wagon. Tai, this is Rey." As she took Tai's hand, she looked at Ben meaningfully. "She's, um, a friend of the family. Just visiting with Luke for a while."

The three newcomers looked at each other doubtfully. "But didn't Master Skywalker just leave for another relic finding mission?"

At this, Ben clumsily changed the subject. "And this is Voe." Ben indicated the dark skinned human who had just spoken. "She's the number two student here, and desperately wishes she could be just a fraction as awesome as I am."

"Yeah, right, Solo. In your dreams." There was something not quite friendly in the woman's smirk, but Rey decided to ignore it. She didn't know these people and felt she was not one to be judging human behavior.

"And, this is Hennix." The remaining student was a species she had never seen before with a hairless crown and four tentacles descending from his face. And she thought she had seen it all between the trading post at Jakku and the ragtag team of resistance fighters.

"It's nice to meet you all," Rey said with a genuine smile.

Voe watched Ben expectantly, then finally said, "Class isn't going to teach itself, Solo. Or, do you need me to take lead today?"

"I'm coming," he growled. The trio announced to the room that breakfast was over and the sound of chairs scraping across the floor and inane chatter exploded as the younglings all rose at the same time.

"Do you mind if I watch?" Rey asked.

"Not much else to do around here. C'mon."

Over the next hour, she watched as he led students through forms with a patience she would never have suspected could come from Ben Solo. He was kind to those with less talent than the others, always offering praise even when there was little to praise. He was harder on the better students, obviously expecting them to put forth maximum effort. She watched as he expertly demonstrated techniques, his lithe body moving with perfect fluidity, until she began to feel a fluttering in her abdomen. He glanced over at her just for the fraction of a moment, causing him to overbalance. To the great amusement of all, he fell flat on his face. He stood, dusting himself off, looking mortified and barked. "Okay, okay. Take a seat. Hennix, Tai."

The two older students met in the center and the rest of the group sat in a loose circle around them. At Ben's signal, they started sparring. Rey was amazed at the sight. She'd seen plenty of actual fights – two (or more) people doing their best to do actual damage to each other, but this…this was sheer poetry. Tai and Hennix knew each other well and their dance gave off an aura of camaraderie and trust. Before she knew it, their time was up and the remaining two senior students replaced them. Ben and Voe shook hands, then backed away, sizing each other up. There was very little camaraderie and trust between these two. Rey could clearly feel the animosity radiate off of Ben. Their dance was one of control and sheer force. Two hammers intent on beating each other into submission. After blocking one of Ben's heavy-handed overhead swings, Voe used the Force to shove Ben's legs out from under him, enabling her to deliver the ending blow to his back. Ben shot up, anger seething in his chest. "You! You cheating piece of bantha crap!"

Suddenly, Ben was gone and Kylo Ren stood before her. She spared a glance at the circle of students; some looked terrified while others knowingly whispered to each other. Through the bond, she saw what he intended to do to Voe just before he could manage it. Rey sprung up, pushed him out to the tree line with the Force, then followed. A brief glimpse over her shoulder assured her that Tai and Hennix were dismissing class and dispersing the witnesses to Ben's tantrum. She turned her attention back to Ben, pushing him farther into the forest and up against a tree. She stood on tiptoes to meet his eyes, placing her hands on either side of his face.

"Look at me. Breathe."

He was shaking from his rage and growled at her, "Don't you tell me to let it go."

"I wouldn't dare. Just breathe. Concentrate on your anger. It's your anger and you're entitled to it. But you're letting it control you." He frowned. This wasn't the same old thing Luke had preached to him over and over. "Your anger, put it in a jar." He looked at her in disbelief. She gently slapped his cheek. "Do as I say. Pour all your anger into a jar." He seemed to refocus, so she continued soothingly. "The anger doesn't fit. It's overflowing. Let it overflow. Let it run down the sides of the jar, all over the floor. It's puddling on the floor and you're letting it go because you don't need it. It's not doing you any good." She felt a sharp decline in his aggression. "That's it. Now, you have it contained and it's not controlling you. You are controlling it; remember that."

Rey released his face and backed away, smiling gently at him. "Better?"

He looked surprised…impressed even. "Actually, it is." After a comfortable silence, where Rey listened intently to the song birds and the buzz of insects, Ben said. "Where did you learn that? I know it wasn't from Luke."

"Nowhere. I taught myself to skim off the excess negative feelings that made me reach for the Dark Side when fighting. But the rest, well, you can consider that your first lesson from your grandfather."

Ben just stared at her in shock. She continued, "He sent me here, you know. I thought I showed you that."

"Rey, you showed me a hell of a lot!" She grinned, understanding completely.

"The Force sent me back to save the galaxy. Your grandfather sent me back farther to save you."

Never in a million years would he have expected that. He had lived the last decade and a half under the impression that he meant nothing to anyone. Despite proof to the contrary, a dark voice in his head always pointed to his failures. His mother and father couldn't even live with him. They abandoned him with his uncle as a child. A child! He had begged them over and over again to let him come home. They claimed he was best off with his uncle. They promised he would learn to be a Jedi. But he didn't want to be a Jedi! No one ever asked what he wanted. They just pushed him off into the furthest reaches where they didn't have to admit he was their son. His own family hated him…feared him.

Then, she came. All warmth, compassion and forgiveness. And now she tells him she was sent here…for him. His grandfather, whom he had never met and of whom his mother never spoke. After years of self-hatred and, let's be honest, loathing, she offered him this ray of sunlight. His own grandfather, someone who knew a great deal about losing oneself to hate and anger, had defied the Force itself to deliver this savior. The implications were staggering and…he couldn't breathe.

"Rey. I need to be alone for a while. Please ask Voe to take over for the afternoon." And without waiting for her response, he walked off to his hut.

While Voe looked a bit too superior upon being asked, she did agree to take afternoon classes, for which Rey was grateful.

She hadn't expected Ben's reaction. One would think news of his grandfather's involvement would be happy. Just another reminder that this was not the man she had come to know at all. She'd do well to remember that a little more often.


	5. Chapter 5

To give him the time he had requested, she took a walk in the forest. Even after all this time away from Jakku, she felt such love for greenery. For trees. She stopped constantly to run her hands over leaves and watch the wildlife. It wasn't long before she heard a larger presence behind her. "Hey, wait up!" She turned to see Tai running after her. He said, "Hey. Sorry about that scene, with Ben. He's always had a bit of a temper. And, you may have noticed, he and Voe don't exactly get along."

"Oh, don't apologize. I've known him for a while. I'm well acquainted with his moods. We all have our demons, don't we?"

Tai snickered. "I guess we do at that." They walked quietly for a moment before Tai spoke again. "So, I don't know how long you're planning on staying here, but I'd be happy to show you the grounds, take you into town. Maybe give you some idea of what to do around here, aside from watch the fireworks between those two." He snickered again. "Our training sessions will get really old really quick. Hopefully Master Luke will be back shortly."

"Thanks, Tai. I'd appreciate that. Ben would probably appreciate that, come to think of it. Get me out of his shadow once in a while."

"Ok! Great. Well, we have a free day tomorrow, so, how about after breakfast?"

"Sure. Whenever you have the time."

He gave her a wide smile and jogged off toward the school.

She was left alone again with just her thoughts. She found a small clearing and sat next to a large tree, closed her eyes and tried to meditate. She could feel the grass beneath her hands; the dirt underneath, full of microscopic life; the massive tree at her back transporting sap up and down through its trunk; a newly hatched family of caterpillars eating a leaf; the weather was about to turn…rain was coming and she could smell the ozone now; Voe and Hennix were demonstrating a sparring technique to the younglings as many of them paid no attention, their minds on lunch; Ben was alone in his hut, meditating as well. His confusion permeated his Force signature. He was questioning something he had long taken as fact…hard truth. His mind couldn't quite accept the new reality. As hard as she tried, Rey couldn't make out his exact thoughts. It would just take time. Then a terrifying thought came to her. Seven years into the past. Yet, she was still herself, still 20 years old, in the body of a 20-year-old trained in the ways of the Force. She retained 20 full years of memories, so was she living parallel to her 13-year-old self? Was she also back on Jakku, struggling to survive, alone on that wasteland, with nothing for comfort save the mistaken belief that her parents would be coming back to her? And if so, what happened in 6 years from now, when her path would cross that of the Resistance and her life would change forever? If they did their jobs correctly in this new timeline, that future would never exist. There would be no Snoke, no Emperor Palpatine, no…Kylo Ren. Did she just continue in this life, this timeline as if she were alone or should she seek herself out? That didn't feel right. Her next thought froze her in abject fear. What if she, her current self, just ceased to be once this timeline was changed? What if she just blinked out of existence and her younger self was the only one left to exist? She cursed herself for not thinking to ask these things of Anakin when she had had the chance. Now desperate to speak with someone about this, she reached out farther, and felt Luke. Feeling him was not like feeling Ben. She could just see a light and could only feel that it was him. There was no intimate connection at all. As her mind cleared, she noted another light…Leia! Oh, stars, it was Leia, alive and whole and suddenly Rey couldn't wait a second longer to see her; to embrace her and never let her go again. She remembered vividly the pain she felt at the moment of Leia's passing. The feeling that Rey would never feel whole again. She initially thought to contact her former Master, but then remembered that Luke had planned on speaking with her and such news was certain to draw Leia here…if only to meet this strange person who claimed to have time travelled, of all things. Yes, it was time to focus on the task at hand. Defeat Palpatine. Save Ben. The rest would have to wait. The rest was all just window dressing. In the whole scheme of things, her life meant very little. And while that was very easy to tell herself, she could not help but start to grieve for the loss that was sure to come.

When she opened her eyes again, it was dark. Rey was surprised to see that she had missed the entire rest of the day. She trudged off in the direction of the school, encountering no one on the way. Darkness and calm filled the little hut, but she knew sleep would once again evade her tonight. She sat on the little stool in the corner and absentmindedly wondered if Ben had ever emerged and rejoined classes. As if on cue, she felt him at her door. He knocked quietly and waited for her answer. She answered, "come on in."

He did. "You sound tired. Where did you get off to? Some extra part of your special, secret mission?" Ben said cheerfully as he set a tray down onto the bedside table.

"What's this?" she asked.

"Clothes. Dinner. You have to be starved. I didn't see you for lunch or dinner." He set the stack of material at the foot of her bed and started to set up a plate for her. Her heart melted. She wasn't used to being cared for…for someone to think of her needs.

"That's kind of you. Thank you. I lost track of time." She took the plate offered and picked at the food to appease him.

"Obviously," he lightly laughed. When she did not seem to want to talk, he bid her a goodnight. "Well, my job here is done. Have a good night. Our free day is tomorrow. I can show you around if you like."

"I'd like that…" she started, then remembered. "Oh, Tai promised to give me a tour. I forgot."

Ben went still and the smile, still on his lips, left his eyes. "Sure. Of course. Whatever you want. Let me know if you need me for anything."

While their bond may be just a shade of what it once was, there was no mistaking his immense disappointment. But before she could say anything else, he was out the door.

She did sleep that night. Maybe the first dreamless night in a long while. It made her feel lighter than she had felt since…forever. She dressed in the fresh clothes Ben left for her and ventured out into the sunlight for breakfast. She hadn't taken more than four steps before Tai greeted her enthusiastically, his customary wide smile at his lips. A small glance at the next hut told her that Ben had already left, so she smiled in greeting and fell into step with the young man. "So, after breakfast, I thought I'd take you out to town. It's not much. Just a couple eating places, shops, a trading outpost. But you'll be able to find anything you need there."

Rey patted him on the shoulder and said, "Thank you, Tai."

They reached the dining area and Rey looked around for any sight of Ben. She was disappointed. Tai led her to an empty table that wasn't empty at all. He had apparently laid out a whole spread of the available breakfast items. "Wow. I haven't seen this much of a selection in my life. We're not hoarding, are we?"

He giggled. "No, I was the cook this morning. If anything, this is my due. Now, dig in!"

She did as he commanded and found she was starved. She hadn't gotten but several bites in before he asked, "So, 'friend of the family', huh?"

This brought her up short. "Um, yeah?"

He leaned in conspiratorially, "We all saw that Force push, Rey. Against Ben, in one of his tirades; that's quite the feat. What gives?"

She smiled with a confidence she did not feel. "You can't exactly live around legendary Jedi Masters and not pick up a thing or two." To hide her panic, she picked up a cup with an opaque, brown liquid and drank. Whatever was in said cup was absolutely atrocious and she involuntarily spit it out. "What the hell is that?!"

He raised an eyebrow. "Don't change the subject. You can't exactly 'pick up' a Force ability, and I think you know that."

Her panic steadily rose as she wasn't quite sure what conclusion he was coming to, but she knew she was woefully unprepared to counter anything he might say.

But, his jovial smile returned and he said, "You've known for a while that you're Force sensitive, haven't you?" She opened her mouth to reply, but he waved it away and continued. "Oh, don't worry. Your secret is safe with me, if you are keeping it a secret. This life isn't for everyone. I wouldn't begrudge anyone from following their own dreams. Back in the old days, they would have taken us from our parents as children to start the training. I'm glad I had a choice. I'm glad you had a choice. Good for you. Would you like some jam with that?"

Tragedy averted, she let her guard down and let his constant chatter wash over her. He spoke at such length and with such detail about anything and everything that she barely needed to contribute to the conversation to keep it going. They walked everywhere that morning, drove out to town, ate lunch, bought a few essentials and then returned at twilight.

He dropped her off at her door, lingering as she jostled her packages to reach the door latch. She managed to open the door, then turned back to find Tai uncomfortably close. "Well, thank you for a fun day Tai. I'll see you later." At that, she entered the hut and closed the door.


	6. Chapter 6

The next morning brought a welcome surprise. As she lay in bed, contemplating what to do with her time until Luke returned, hopefully with the wayfinder, she sensed a presence, then heard a knock. Rey got up, opened the door, expecting anyone other than the person before her.

It was Leia. Beautiful Leia, brown hair down, long flowing ivory robes and a healthy glow on her face. Before Rey could control herself, she grabbed Leia in a desperate embrace and cried, "Master!"

Leia did not try to pull away, though she did smile a bit uncomfortably. After a moment, she returned the strange girl's hug. Then, she put Rey a more respectable distance from herself, looked at the girl in appraisal and said, "You must be Rey."

Rey gasped. "Oh, I'm so sorry, ma'am. It's just been…I forget sometimes."

Leia must have been filled in by her brother because she smiled knowingly. "Don't worry, Rey. There's nothing normal about any of this. Come." Leia led Rey into the hut to have a seat. "Let's talk."

Rey couldn't take her eyes off of Leia. She had missed her mentor so much. But words would not come. No mere words could possibly express her feelings adequately at this moment.

Leia broke the silence with a simple, "Thank you."

"For…?

Leia smiled. "For my son. You have no idea how painful it's been. Not being able to help him. Having to send him away and not even getting to know the man he'd grown to become. He hasn't returned any of our holos in the last three years. Well, mine, at least. I don't think he and his father have attempted to communicate much since he came here." A light entered Rey's eyes as she realized that this meant Han was alive as well. "My son contacted me, Rey. Out of the blue. Luke had explained this already…" Leia motioned to Rey. "…and I was already on my way, but he asked me to come see him. So, thank you."

Leia took hold of Rey's hands in a gesture of sincere gratitude. In a small voice, Rey said, "I've missed you so much. You taught me everything I know and were the only mother I ever knew."

"Well," Leia said, "it looks as if I have two adult children to get to know. When this is all over, please know that you have a home with me. If you want, of course. If I understand the situation correctly?" Leia looked at her questioningly.

"That would be lovely." Tears filled Rey's eyes.

They embraced again, Rey feeling the weight of the world lift from her shoulders, if only for a moment.

But as a moment is want to do, it ended all too soon. And ever the General Organa, she got down to business. "Now, the problem at hand. Tell me how you killed him the first time. Luke told me what he could remember from your memories…by the way, did I teach you that, because I've never heard of that skill. Tell me I taught you that."

Rey said with amusement, "No, I just did it. I needed to show Luke because words just seemed inadequate. So, I…did."

"Incredible." Leia lost herself in thought, then continued as if nothing had interrupted the original train of thought. "How did you and Ben kill Sidious?"

"We didn't, ma'am. He actually used our life force, the dyad, to heal and strengthen himself. He drained us to the edge of death. I remember the Jedi speaking to me as I lay dying, and they gave me the strength to fight him. So, if you don't mind, I'd rather do it another way this time. That way didn't really end well for me. Or Ben for that matter."

"What do you mean?" Rey wondered how Leia could not know.

"The effort killed me in the end. But, for whatever reason, Ben sacrificed himself for me. He healed me, gave me everything he had left, then…"

Leia easily understood what Rey did not say, to the latter's immense relief. She wasn't sure she could say the words. Then her mentor looked into her. Not at her, into her very soul. Rey asked, "What?"

"You have feelings for him, don't you?" Leia smiled knowingly.

"Well, of course I do. We went through a lot together. You don't come out the other side of something like that without…"

Leia interrupted, "I see it in your eyes. You love my son. Just do me a favor, and let him know. It just seems like something he'd like to know. And if not, then he's a moron." When Rey said nothing, the elder stood. "It looks like we have some planning to do. It doesn't seem like the best idea to have the two of you involved. The benefit of hind sight in this case being invaluable. Let's do this thing right. That was, after all, why you were sent here, right?"

Rey said, "But aside from Luke, Ben and I are the strongest Jedi you have, no offense, Master."

"Yes, but we can't risk making the situation worse. Surely you can see the truth in that. Don't be overly noble, Rey. Luke and I are perfectly able to handle this together…unless you two make it worse. Do I understand correctly that the Jedi ghosts will be preventing him from entering another host?"

"Yes, that's what Anakin said."

Leia froze momentarily, then continued as if it hadn't happened. "It seems very likely that he is on Exegol, growing his fleet and biding his time. Luke remembers where you found the wayfinder, and we'll have that soon enough. Consider the issue resolved. Now why do you look unconvinced?"

"It just seems…anticlimactic. I mean, they sent me back in time in this unprecedented feat, then I, what, just hang out here, take in the sights and work on my tan? It doesn't feel right."

Leia smiled indulgently. "Not everything needs to be an uphill battle, Rey. You defeated him, so they sent you back to do it again. Why they sent you back seven years, I couldn't say."

Rey looked at her, confused. "Surely, Luke told you that part?" At her confusion, Rey continued. "The Force wanted me sent back to the battle; just a couple days. Anakin defied them and sent me back seven years, to the night Ben turned to the Dark Side. He sent me back to save Ben."

Leia's ever-present sure demeanor slipped away in an instant. She almost whispered, "My father…did this?"

"Yes."

"I've never…I mean, I've forgiven him in my own way, but…I've never told him. He would do this thing anyhow, for me? For Ben?"

"Yes, Leia. It was the kind thing to do. Ben never deserved what Palpatine did to him."

Leia turned to leave. Rey could barely hear the next words, but they could have been, "Either did Anakin."


	7. Chapter 7

The next few days passed with no small amount of tedium. Rey was, again, without purpose. The meals provided to her with no required effort on her part left her with far too much free time. Luke was still off planet, leaving Ben to take over the Master's training schedule. Rey found herself filling her hours by getting to know the students better. It was an easy task. They were all insanely curious about her, especially after seeing how she handled Ben's less admirable qualities with ease. His outbursts of temper had greatly decreased since her time there. There had not been another public display for which Rey had to intervene.

She learned that Hennix came from a planet called Mon Cala. He was taken to Luke's academy shortly after Ben came to live with his uncle. They trained together for years along with Tai and Voe. Tai was an overtly friendly and inclusive human. She and Tai spent some afternoons in town getting lunch just "for something to do," as Tai put it. Voe, on the other hand, never did warm up to her. The intensely private girl seemed to have some sort of rivalry going with Ben, and apparently, any friend of his was an enemy of hers.

She saw little of Ben, to her displeasure. When he wasn't busy with his teaching duties, he was spending time with this mother. Rey figured she could have asked to join them, but given the amount of time the two needed to make up for, that would have made Rey feel too intrusive. So, she had to settle for the odd breakfast with him here and there, and watching him surreptitiously during classes. But, he seemed to be doing really well. His father had stopped by between jobs to check in on him. That seemed to go well, or at least that was her impression. While it was amazing to have been a part of this transformation, she missed him and longed for more time together.

Luke finally returned about two weeks after he first left, wayfinder in hand and plan in place. Rey was ecstatic and wasted no time in seeking out the elusive Ben Solo. He was in the empty dining area eating alone.

"Well, you are now officially free!" Rey exclaimed, taking a seat next to him.

"I am? I wasn't before?" Ben asked.

"Luke's back, silly! You have no more responsibilities and can now be my personal entertainer."

"Isn't that Tai's position?" Ben tried to look nonchalant, but his tone belied his upset.

"Only as the runner-up, fallback position," Rey giggled.

"Just what a guy likes to hear. I didn’t realize there was a line." Ben nearly growled.

"Wait. You think…do you think I have feelings for Tai?!"

Ben looked down at his meal, seething. When he obviously had no intention of speaking, Rey added, "He's the friendliest guy you'd ever want to meet. I couldn't have avoided spending time with him if I tried. You know him. There's nothing between us but friendship, Ben."

"That's not what he says." Rey looked taken aback. "Regardless, it's none of my business. I have no claim on you, as much as I'd like to." He froze, staring at the ground, face reddening, wishing fervently that he could take back those words before she could hear them. A stifling silence fell between them that he did not know how to breach.

"Ben?" she said in a whisper. She took him by the chin and lifted his gaze to hers. "You are a stupid, stupid man." His eyes widened at the insult. "We share a bond. There's no way I could hide my feelings for you, even if I wanted to. How can you not know that you already have my heart? You and nobody else."

"You…but…" he stuttered and shook his head.

"I've loved you since before you ever met me," Rey said, almost begging him to understand.

Ben stared at her slack jawed, his mind refusing to come to the logical conclusion. "How could someone so full of light and goodness love someone like me? If you only knew…this thing inside me. I'm not good, Rey. You've helped me control it. God, you've been amazing. But it's still there. It's ugly and it's hateful and it will never be gone."

She sighed deeply. Why did this have to be so difficult? "What if I told you that there was something dark and wrong inside me? Would you believe it?" she asked in exasperation. He made a disgusted face as if that were the furthest thing from the truth. "I'm a Palpatine, Ben. Do you understand what that means? He's the only person in the entire galaxy I've ever encountered with no remorse, no conscience; the darkest, most despicable of creatures. I came from him and it disgusts me. But if you think for one minute that I define myself by what he is, you'd be very wrong. Just like you are not what Palpatine wants you to be. You are not a Skywalker, a Solo, heir to Vader or a Jedi. You're Ben. And I see you, Ben. I've seen the very worst of you, don't forget. I knew Kylo Ren. In fact, he tortured me and my friends, killed them, and pursued me across the galaxy to either kill me or turn me. I know better than you what is inside you." She pointed a small finger at his chest. When he did not look convinced, she continued. "I met him before I ever knew you, and I managed to fall in love with you through all of it. So, either you change that destructive dialogue in your head and accept that there are people in this world who love you, for good reason, or live alone, believing that bantha crap about yourself. It's your choice. Let me know what you decide." Having finally lost her temper, she turned to go, but felt a strong pair of hands on her shoulders which turned her back around. Then, without preamble, he was kissing her.

She had long imagined this moment in dreams but the reality could never compare. His lips were soft and warm. Ben felt so desperate, wanting to possess her entirely and never let her go. She could feel his desire as if it were her own…or was it hers? Within their bond, she couldn't tell where Ben Solo began and she ended.

The memory of their first kiss came back to her in a flash. She reluctantly pulled away to look at him and whispered, "Don't leave me."

His eyes were heavily lidded and his heart raced. "I wouldn't dare." And with that, he placed small, light kisses across her forehead, face, then neck.

Over Ben's shoulder, Rey registered movement. It was Leia. She walked in, saw the pair, then fluidly turned around and walked away, an enormous smile gracing her face.

Rey giggled, "I think we better take this somewhere more private." Ben didn't hesitate. He swooped her up into his arms and sprinted toward his hut and slammed the door behind them with his foot.

"All this time, Rey?" he managed between rapid breaths, setting her down.

"Longer." She briefly kissed him. "How could you not know?" Her hand shot out and playfully slapped him on the chest.

"I'm a stupid, stupid man." He pushed her against the wall and proceeded to kiss her thoroughly, his tongue begging entrance. She obliged, reveling in the experience. Rey had wanted this man for too long. And now he was here, in front of her, kissing her senseless. After several moments, he pulled away, breathless, placing his forehead on hers. "I…need to know."

She responded, "Anything."

He swallowed hard. "Before…in the other timeline, how 'close' were we?"

Reading him easily, she said, "You're jealous?"

"That sounds dumber out loud than it does in my head," he sheepishly admitted.

She looked him in the eyes and with sincerity replied, "Just the one kiss."

His relief was palpable, and Rey had to struggle not to laugh at him. Instead, she kissed him again. As her fervor rose, she started to pull at his tunic. Once he was divested of it, she started on his pants. He stilled her hands, and she broke off the kiss.

Ben said, "Rey, this is too much." She instantly cooled down, the sting of rejection splayed across her face. "No, don't think that. It's just…I've never…and…" He swallowed hard again.

"Never?" She smiled broadly, gently cupping his cheek. "Then we'll learn together."

He smiled back at her with equal intensity, then kissed her again – a long, languid kiss that spoke of a lifetime of loneliness and the joy of having found the one person who could banish it.


	8. Chapter 8

Luke was livid. Attitude aside, Ben was his best student. What gave him the impression that training was now suddenly optional? The boy hadn't been seen in two days! If anything, recent developments only served to highlight how important preparation was. Didn't Ben see that? After all, Luke wasn't going to live forever. Someone had to carry on the Jedi traditions and who better to do it than his nephew? The last of the Skywalker line.

Luke summarily finished up his class, then took off to look for his wayward nephew. Without knocking, he threw open the door to Ben's hut. Nothing. The place was immaculate, as if he hadn't been there for days. He searched briefly for any clues as to his whereabouts, then started to worry. Seized with a sudden icy fear, Luke reached out with the Force, only to be reassured that Ben was still here, at the school. At least he hadn't taken off to do something foolhardy. Well, if that wasn't it, where the hell was he?

A tap on the shoulder got his attention. It was Leia, with a strange look on her face. He complained to his sister, "He hasn't been to class in two days."

Leia smiled knowingly. "Two days, huh?"

"What has that boy been up to? He has a responsibility to this school, to himself," Luke lectured.

Leia pointed at Rey's hut. "Give him a break, Luke. They've both been through a lot. Besides, they can't stay in there forever."

"What are they…" then it hit him with the force of a brick. "Oh. I'm very dense." He ran his hand through his hair, in awe of how he could have possibly missed this development. In all his years at the academy, Ben had never once had a romantic relationship. Not that Luke encouraged such entanglements, but he never discouraged them either. That was one of the changes he had insisted on making while rebuilding the Jedi Order. But Ben had always been such a loner…and no one had ever been able to see passed his temper and arrogance regarding his Force abilities. Unless Luke had been wrong, which was certainly likely, no one had ever taken any interest in Ben in that way.

Leia said, "Took you long enough to admit that. Listen, Luke. We all deserve some happiness once in a while."

"You're right," Luke admitted.

"Can I get a plaque or something to commemorate this day?!"

"Please, Leia. You're always right, and you know it."

"And now, that's the first time you've ever been right."

The sun had just peeked over the tree line, painting the little room with dapples of light that danced as the breeze blew through the leaves. Rey lost herself in watching the shadows dance; she didn't notice Ben wake. "Good morning." He kissed her for what felt like both the first and millionth time.

She smiled and gazed at him sleepily. "We need to get out of here soon. Luke is going to be freaking out," she said.

"Let him."

"Okay…and your mother?"

"Oh, she's probably loving this. Do you have any idea how many times she's mentioned grandchildren since she got here?"

Rey blushed a deep scarlet. "You're kidding."

"Oh, no. Once she gets going on the mothering thing, she doesn't stop until I have to plug my ears and run away screaming."

They laughed together. Rey said, "She's just making up for lost time."

"Maybe. I suspect she just lives to embarrass me."

"Understandable."

Their conversation died into a comfortable companionship. Ben held Rey, lazily stroking her arm, content to stay right there for the rest of his life.

"Ben?" Rey said.

"Yes, Rey?"

"I need to ask you a favor."

"Anything. You know that." Ben sat up and looked at her, giving his full attention.

"Before I came here, I never got a chance to ask any questions." Ben looked confused. "Your grandfather asked my consent to go back, and once I gave it, he sent me back."

"Okay…"

"Right now, I should be 13 years old. But, I'm not. I'm the exact same 20 year-old me from the future." She looked at Ben, but his face did not show any understanding. "I think…I'm here, but also on Jakku. I think the Rey from this timeline is on Jakku where she should be. But what happens to her when the timeline is changed? When she's never pulled into the Resistance? Does she stay there forever?"

Now he looked concerned. "I don't know. Where are you going with this?"

"And what about me? When the timeline is changed and Palpatine is finally gone for good, do I continue to live in this timeline…do I go back to my timeline, which won't even exist anymore…or do I just disappear?"

One look at his face confirmed that he now had a perfect grasp of her point, and he looked terrified.

Rey continued, "Ben, if I just disappear after we fix this timeline, I want you to find me…her. Don't let her live out her life alone on that damn planet. I won't know you, and I won't be the same person, but you can't leave me there. Please. Promise me." She was crying softly now, imagining an entire lifetime of desperation and loneliness. Ben took her in his arms and held her tightly.

"Of course, I promise. Of course." His own eyes shimmered with unshed tears.


	9. Chapter 9

That morning, Ben, Rey, Leia and Luke met in Luke's hut after breakfast. Leia had collected them all there. She said in explanation, "Luke and I are leaving for Exegol tonight."

Neither Ben nor Rey seemed to have any objections, so she continued. "I don't want you two coming with, stowing away on the ship, following with your own ship, Force projecting onto Exegol, or whatever foolish scheme you may have devised."

Ben and Rey looked at each other and shrugged as if none of those scenarios had ever crossed their minds.

Leia continued again, "This is not just lip service you two. If you dare put yourselves in range of Sidious, I will personally flay you before he can get his hands on you. Do you understand?"

Ben responded, "Yes, mother. We understand. Just because we don't like it doesn't mean we don't understand and won't cooperate."

"Rey, do not let this man out of your sight. We cannot afford for that bastard to gain strength at this point."

Rey said, "Of course, ma'am. I have long since come to terms with the fact that I will not be involved with this whatsoever, even though this is why your own father sent me here...through time…seven years…against the laws of nature…for this exact purpose."

Leia rolled her eyes and sighed. "Luke? You have the floor." She put her hands to her temples as if she had a throbbing headache.

"As there is no reason to believe otherwise, I must assume the block of communication with the Jedi of old is still activated. I have attempted to communicate our plan with Obi-Wan and my father. And though I have received no response, Rey, your memories prove that they can hear us. I am certain they will be with us in this fight. We should not be expected by Darth Sidious or the First Order. And certainly, I will not be expected to be accompanied by Leia." Luke turned, picked up something, then ceremonially handed it to his sister. It was her lightsaber.

She smiled warmly at him. "Thank you for keeping it safe."

He smiled back. "Of course."

Rey leaned over to Ben and whispered, "Is he always this formal and stuffy?"

Ben shrugged then whispered back, "Meh. Sometimes he paces while he lectures. That makes him look even stiffer."

Luke snapped at them, "I can hear you, you know. I'm not deaf, just old."

Leia smiled, tears in her eyes. It had been so long since they were a real family together. And she was determined to not lose it just yet. Sidious and his plans be damned.

Ben and Rey exited the hut hand in hand. Once the door had closed, Ben turned to Rey and asked, "So, what is your plan, then?"

Her eyebrows raised in surprise. She said, "You think I have a plan? I was telling the truth. She asked us to stay away, it makes perfect sense, so I'm staying away."

Ben returned her surprised expression. "You have nothing up your sleeve?" he asked.

"You'd know if I did." Ben nodded in agreement. "Besides, I have no interest in repeating history. I watched you die. You died in my arms, saving me. And in the end, I was alone. Ben, we are not going near that fight. It's what he wants, and I'm tired of him taking from this family." Before she knew it, he had her in a tight embrace and was kissing her almost roughly.

"What was that all about?" Rey asked.

He smiled at her adoringly. "You. My little spitfire." He was relieved that she couldn't see his actual thought – the idea of her becoming family filled him with such joy, despite the prematurity of it. All he needed was time and a little cooperation from the Force. Her concerns about her place in the new timeline were, of course, too horrible to contemplate. But he had to maintain hope that the Force wouldn't have allowed this union with plans to delete her from time itself. The Force wouldn't be so cruel…would it?

They spent the rest of the day relaxing with the other students. Master Luke had declared a holiday of sorts. And, while the entirety of the academy knew that something of great importance was coming, they did not know what, exactly. Students were encouraged to visit home if they wished and most did so; Hennix being the only of the older three to stay behind. Rey was grateful for this, as she couldn't stand Voe's attitude any longer, or Tai's sad, puppy dog stare.

Ben asked her, "Don't you feel sorry for him even a little?"

"No, I don't. I never gave him any indication that we were anything other than friends. And I wouldn't be upset about it except that he told people we were. What a nerf herder."

Ben smiled and said, "Tell the truth. That's not what bothers you at all."

She gave him a dirty look. "You just want me to say it out loud. Fine. I'm upset because he hurt you. There. Happy?"

"Immensely," Ben replied as he gently tucked a lock of hair behind her ear.

The couple tagged along as Luke and Leia prepared their ship for flight, looking like nervous parents seeing their offspring off to University.

Ben said, "You know, it's not too late to change your mind."

Leia did not even respond. She just shot him a withering "mother glare." He shrugged his shoulders and said, "I tried, Rey. Once Mom's made up her mind, forget about changing it. Especially if she's forbidden you to get a hoverbike. You can beg and you can cry, but you aren't getting that bike." Leia smiled, overjoyed to have rekindled a relationship with her only child.

Rey added, "But, you can always ask Dad. I bet he'd let you have that bike."

Ben looked shocked. "And go behind Mom's back!? Are you mad, woman?"

Leia amended her thought to include a new relationship with a daughter she never knew she needed.

Rey walked off to see Luke, who was installing the wayfinder. She asked him, "Need any help with that?"

He stopped his work and looked at her. Then, as if just deciding something, put down the hydrospanner and approached her. "You know, I never told you..." Rey waited patiently as Luke struggled to find the right words. "You really are incredible. From the little I caught from that show of yours," he laughed a little, "you came out of nowhere with the bravery and spirit of a warrior and just…did what needed to be done. It's not easy, to be learning, like you and I had to, in the moment. I want you to know that your willingness to do this now, and everything you did to get to this point…it's nothing short of extraordinary. As a Jedi, I am impressed beyond measure at what you've accomplished. And, as a Skywalker, I owe you everything I have…everything I am…for what you've done for this family." He turned to surreptitiously wipe away a tear. "I don't know what's going to happen from this point on, so, if I don't return, I want you to continue the Jedi academy. I know Ben doesn't want it. But maybe he'll stay if there's something worth staying for."

Without waiting for a response, he closed the distance between them and hugged her. And to Rey, the hug felt like…home.

Ben and Rey waved goodbye, watching until they were out of sight.

Rey turned from the empty sky to look at Ben then said, "And now, we wait."

They made love all night long, neither willing to waste a second of what could possibly be their last moments together.

It was a week later. There had been no communication with Luke. But, they hadn't expected any, really. There would be no getting a signal out of Exegol. But they could have sent a message after leaving…if they had ever left.

The academy remained sparsely populated and the students who were left were starting to worry as well. They could see the concern on Ben's face. He had expected Master Luke back already. Rey and Ben had tried several times to reach out and sense the twins, but were forced to conclude that the hidden Sith planet was just too Dark to allow them to penetrate with Light Side powers.

So, they continued to wait.

And every day, the wait became more painful.

One month. After one month, they were at lunch. One of the youngest, Simi, came running into the dining room, screaming about a ship approaching. As one, they all ran out to look. No one was disappointed. The ship Simi had seen was Luke's. Rey reached out and felt two points of light. They were alive. She looked at Ben, who had just come to the same conclusion, and they embraced, tears of joy starting to flow. When the pair disembarked, they were inundated with hugs and questions and pats on the shoulders.

Rey and Ben remained behind, holding hands so tightly, neither had circulation to their fingers.

And with one motion, it was over. Luke looked at them, smiled broadly and gave one quick nod. They had done it. Palpatine was gone. But, no less importantly, Rey was still here.

While Rey looked about to faint, Ben let out a "whoop", picked her up and spun around. After placing her down, he kissed her, pouring every ounce of his soul into it…unable to stop the flow of relief. She was still here! Thank the Force, she was still here!

\------------------------------

"What the hell took you a month, uncle? Do you have any idea what you put us all through?! You couldn't have contacted us ONCE in all that time to tell us you weren't lying dead on a Sith planet while our enemy grew stronger by the minute?!"

Brother and sister looked at each other and then burst out laughing. Leia reached into her pocket and handed Luke some credits. At Ben's angry expression, his mother stopped laughing and said, "We had a bet going on who would yell at us first. My money was on you, Rey. I'm very disappointed in you. You cost me quite a bit. But I must say, son, you'll make a great father someday. That was quite the lecture."

A very flushed Rey said, "All kidding aside, we were worried sick. What happened?"

Luke put down his heavy bag. "Well," he said. "We found our way perfectly. Got there with no problems. Couldn't find him anywhere. It took forever to verify that he was on the planet at all. He's got some pretty strong blocks. We couldn't see his Force signature. To make a long, LONG story short, we tracked him down, surprised the hell out of him and killed him with no resistance. We saw his essence escape. I remember that from the first time he was killed. Then, every Jedi I'd ever met and a good number of ones I hadn't surrounded the blue mist until it coalesced into Sidious' original form and they…took him away. I don't know where. But my father assures me he's gone…for good this time."

He looked impossibly tired. Leia did as well. She said, "You should know. The price of this deed is that those who can appear to the living to offer guidance…can no longer return. So, I have a message for you, Rey."

Rey looked at her, surprised. "Me?"

"My father wanted to thank you. Because of you, what happened to him can now end with him. He said watching it happen again to his grandson was torture."

Rey hesitated, but then asked, "Did you get to tell him?"

"I did. He said he already knew I forgave him, but I think I needed to tell him."

Rey and Leia embraced for a long while, pulling back once their tears had slowed.

Luke, ever the pragmatist, asked, "So, what now?"

Rey looked at Ben while speaking to the group, "So, what does everyone think about a visit to Jakku?"


	10. Chapter 10

A hot sun beat down relentlessly on day 2927. Sand motes danced outside the AT-AT, in an attempt to wear away or bury any signs of life; an effective war waged against any attempt to intrude on Jakku’s inhospitable, natural state.

A beige-clad figure dismounted the well-worn speeder and trudged into the structure. She was no stranger to the way sand inevitably worked its way into her clothing and mixed with sweat to form an abrasive paste. Aside from the rare washing, the girl had never been without the sensation. She peeled off her head coverings, changing her visage from bug like to human, then haphazardly threw them to the sandy corner. Her eyes closed as she sunk to the floor and she let out a deep sigh. 

“Good day, Sprocket. 5 full portions. Can’t go back though. Even if there’s anything valuable left, Durka and his goons…” She paused to take a few breaths. The best thing about Sprocket was that she never minded pregnant pauses and never needed a complete sentence for full understanding. If only she could reconstitute portions, sweep out the sand…make herself useful, beyond being a superb sounding board and keeper of confidences. Rey abruptly reached over and brushed some sand off of Sprocket’s rebel uniform. “Slob.”

She closed her eyes again, telling herself she just needed a couple minutes, then she’d get up and eat. Just a couple. As she fell into a hard sleep, Sprocket stood sentinel.

\----------------

She woke with a start, dawn filtering through the cracks around her makeshift door. Something was wrong. Maybe not quite wrong, but the air definitely felt…off. She sat still, listening. Was that rustling of sand in the wind or footsteps? One could never be too sure, or too careful. Rey sprung to her feet, automatically grabbing her staff. Last time she heard footsteps did not end well for anyone. The intruder thought he would find something of value and when he didn’t find it in the shelter, thought he could take what he wanted from  _ her _ . He left decidedly worse off than when he arrived, and Rey had to use precious water to clean his blood from her floor, though the sand thankfully absorbed most of it. The metallic stench lasted for days but served as a reminder to be ever vigilant.

The sound abruptly stopped, a sure sign it wasn’t the wind. After several moments of tense anticipation, she heard a tentative voice. “Rey?” She narrowed her eyes. The voice was definitely female, soft, questioning, not demanding. So, not one of Plutt’s. 

She answered loudly through the closed door, “Who are you? What do you want?”

If she had expected a verbal answer, she would be disappointed. Instead, she  _ felt _ the answer. She felt something warm prickle at the center of her chest and spread to her abdomen. A something that promised that the woman outside that door was not here to do her harm. A something that hinted at belonging. A something that promised…family. Her face suddenly lit up. Hope was such a fragile thing, but she had managed to hang on to it for...stars, how many years had it been? She hauled the door off to the side and stared at the woman before her. Clean clothes, neat hair, soft, kind eyes. Eyes that crinkled along with the smile that formed on the lips below. ‘Not from Jakku,’ Rey thought.

“Well, I’ll be damned. She was right,” Leia said under her breath.

“Pardon?”

“Nothing,” Leia said as she shook her head slightly. “We need to talk. Can I come in? This sand is getting everywhere.” She laughed softly and dusted off her shoulder.

Rey backed out of the doorway. “Oh. Of course. I…sorry…come in.”

Leia stepped through the opening, briefly glancing at the staff tightly held in Rey’s hand. “I’m sorry to just show up unannounced. I didn’t know how else to contact you.”

“That’s okay…um, who are you? I’m sorry I don’t have anywhere to sit. I don’t actually get visitors. You can sit on my bed if you want…who did you say you were?”

Leia gently laughed again. “My name is Leia, and I…”

“Oh, I  _ love _ that name! You know there’s a famous rebellion general named Leia. It’s so pretty. Not really a name for a war hero, but it fits you. Who are you?”

Charmed, Leia extending her hand and said through a large smile, “I’m General Leia Organa.” Rey froze. “Again, I’m sorry for the intrusion. We have a mutual…well, for lack of a better term, ‘friend’. She asked me to come.”

Rey’s face scrunched into confusion. The woman before her felt decidedly benign, but her story had a ring of untruth to it. Rey said slowly, “I don’t have friends. This isn’t that kind of place.”

Leia sighed sadly. She had hoped to not need to resort to this, but the older Rey had warned Leia this would be the only thing that would command the younger Rey’s attention. “Rey. I have news of your parents.”

Silence fell like a weight. Rey couldn’t quite process this. While she certainly had looked to the sky for them every single day, maybe she never really believed they were coming; this felt, again, off. 

Afraid of the answer, Rey asked in a fragile voice, “Are they here?”

Leia’s face fell. “No. They…” She put a gentle hand on her shoulder. “They’re…”

When Leia couldn’t bring herself to finish the sentence, Rey did. “Dead.”

“I’m so sorry, Rey.” The seconds stretched into minutes but Rey just stood quietly, her eyes focused on a sand beetle making its way across the floor. Tears formed, but did not fall. Somewhere inside, she knew. She may have always known. But how else could a small child survive if she didn’t try to hold on to hope? She had so desperately hoped that she wasn’t alone in the world. And now, she was. Today, the dream died. Her lower lip began to quiver and she suddenly found herself wrapped in Leia’s soft, floral scented arms. And it didn’t matter an iota that she had just met the woman, that she couldn’t even be sure that this stranger had no ill intentions; all that mattered was that she felt…was there even a word for this? It was like being at the precipice of a pit, ready to fall into its blackness, but knowing that someone waited for you below, promising to catch you…to never let you fall. She finally let herself cry.

It took a long while for her sobbing to ebb away; Leia rubbed her back in light circles all the while. When it seemed that Rey had gained some amount of control, Leia said, “I imagine you want to know why they left you here.” Leia looked upon her with compassionate eyes. So very kind, those eyes. Something that was in short supply here on Jakku. Rey gave a short nod.

“You need to know that your parents loved you.” Leia watched the girl carefully, letting her words sink in. “They left you here to hide you from the people hunting them. Unfortunately, they never made it to safety and could never come back for you.” It took a few moments, but when Rey was ready for Leia to continue, she nodded again. But Leia held her tongue. 

Rey cleared her throat, but her words cracked anyhow, “W-what’s my name?”

Leia sighed, her sad smile returning. “Leave it to you to ask that.” She shook her head very slightly.  _ Her _ Rey had very specifically asked that this Rey not be told straight off. And Leia could certainly understand. It was a lot for one person for one day. “Listen, Rey. Our ‘mutual friend’ will give you all the details she has; it’s not my story to tell. But I came here with an offer.”

Rey started to look wary again. She’d been made a lot of ‘offers’ in her time here. They usually involved lewd acts in exchange for food or supplies. And when they didn’t, she was always ‘offered’ the short end of a deal. “What kind of offer?”

“A life off of this planet. A life with hope and,” Leia pointedly looked around the dreary shelter, “joy.” Rey’s expression did not change. She was carefully listening; not to Leia’s voice, but that internal feeling that often warned her of danger, or people’s hidden intentions. “I promise you’ll never go hungry again, and you’ll always have someone to talk to…to rely on. Your blood family may be gone, but I think you can find family with us.”

Rey couldn’t hear a single false note in the woman’s words. And as much as she feared it was too good to be true, very little could have enticed her to stay in this…place. Plus, her curiosity was piqued at the word ‘us’. “With the Resistance?”

Leia’s face positively lit up. “No, Rey. The Resistance has been disbanded, for good reason. But I think my brother would be delighted to have you.”

“Your brother? So, I wouldn’t be staying with you?”

Warmth filled Leia’s chest. “No, I have a lot of work to do and wouldn’t be a very good host to you, I’m afraid. But Luke teaches a group of students at his Academy and there’s always room for one more.”

“Academy?”

\-----------------------------

Just minutes later she was done packing her meager belongings and indicated she was ready to go. They started to leave, but Rey quickly turned and rushed back. “Wait!” She had almost forgotten Sprocket in her excitement to never see this planet again. With heart breaking tenderness, she lifted the doll from her spot and eased her into the outside pocket of her bag. Too quietly for Leia to overhear, Rey whispered conspiratorially, “We’re finally going home, Sprocket. Can you believe it?” 


	11. Chapter 11

Blue clashed violently with yellow, filling the air with a crackling and smell of ozone. Voe pushed out hard with the Force, unbalancing her attacker, but barely perceptibly. Frustrated, she blew the stray tendril of hair out of her field of vision and refocused. It would take more than that to defeat her foe on this day. She was beyond tired and knew she'd need to do something to tilt the balance of this fight very soon. If not, she was finished. She looked critically at her attacker who was not even breathing hard.

Some of the onlookers clearly had picked sides but the youngest of them fearfully watched, unable to tear their eyes from the melee, yet powerless to come to her aid.

She struck out once more with all the power she had on reserve, hoping to muscle her way passed those finely honed defenses. In the end, it was all for naught. The yellow blade expertly blocked blue then made to deal the killing blow as Voe fell in exhaustion. At the last second, the oncoming lightsaber halted and Rey smiled, reaching down to offer a hand.

Tai laughed as he applauded, exclaiming, "I told you, Voe! She's just out of our league!" Then to Rey, he yelled, "Friend of the family my ass!"

Master Skywalker yelled from some unseen vantage point, "Hey! Language!"

Voe accepted the hand-up, standing unsteadily with a neutral expression. Rey's own smile fell as she cautiously watched Voe's body language. The latter had never warmed to Rey, unlike most of Ben's classmates. It was hard to not like the young woman's infectious smile and enthusiasm for all things mundane. Just the effect she had on the oft surly Ben Solo was reason enough to appreciate the newcomer.

The seconds ticked away as Voe continued to stare into Rey's eyes, as if waiting for a sign. Just as Rey was ready to give up, Voe broke into a smile and offered her hand. "As hard as I try, Rey, I just can't hate you."

Hennix leaned over, whispering to Tai, "And she's really tried," eliciting another laugh from his friend.

"It's not your fault you have terrible taste in friends." They genially shook hands, then Voe clapped her on the back. "Listen, I can't just keep calling you Rey. There’s too damn many of you." Rey grinned. "What's your family name?"

Rey froze, unsure of herself. Once, she had thought to take on the 'Skywalker' name in honor of the legendary family; now that things had clearly changed, that option was no longer appropriate. And, as much as she knew without a doubt that the name 'Palpatine' held no power over her, others surely would not feel the same way…Voe in particular. This left her with one choice at the moment.

"I don't have one. It's just 'Rey'." Voe looked at her doubtfully, so she reluctantly added, "I never knew my parents."

Voe shrugged her shoulders. "Fine. I'll call you 'JR'." Without waiting for a response from Rey, the girl turned and walked off, albeit slowly, as if the sparring match and subsequent conversation had never occurred.

"Charming in every way," Ben said as he approached Rey, placing an arm around her waist.

Rey agreed, "As usual."

Ben seemed to be directing her somewhere with his arm which piqued her interest. She briefly tried their bond, but he was blocking his thoughts for some reason, leaving only an echo of…anxiety. "Where are you taking me today, Mr. Solo?"

"Shhh. It's a surprise," he said. As much as she wanted to ask more questions, she knew better than to push the issue. Pushing just made him close down, so she would be patient.

They walked for a while in silence, him lost in his thoughts and her trying in vain to decipher his mood. Eventually they came to a clearing, the same clearing she used for meditation when she needed to clear her mind. Only today, there was a blanket laid out with a basket. She grinned uncontrollably, pleased that Ben would actually plan something ahead of time for her. "Why, Ben, this is actually really thoughtful!"

"Do you have to sound so surprised?" While his words would have come off as confrontational to anyone else, she could feel the playful intention behind them.

Her smile never wavered as she said, "I don't have to, but I wanted to express the right amount of appreciation. Was that adequate?" He returned just a shadow her smile, looking as if he were afraid to make any sort of sound, let alone form entire words.

Now his anxiety was ramping up and starting to bleed over into her own feelings. 'To hell with patience,' she said to herself. "Is everything alright? You're green like you're about to vomit."

He nodded and managed to say, "Always a romantic look."

Silence descended.

Birds chirped.

Some unidentified rodent ran up a tree, then jumped from branch to branch until it found just the right place to await scraps.

They both started talking at once, then stopped and nervously laughed. "You first," Rey offered.

He cleared his throat, then swallowed. "I've been wanting to give you something, and I am hoping you'll like it, or at least accept it." Little beads of perspiration started to collect on his forehead.

Getting quite nervous herself, Rey reached into the basket, "Please tell me you brought wine."

From the folds of his tunic, he removed a small box, attempted to open it with shaking hands, dropped it, then cursed as a small, delicate ring fell out. His almost comical look of consternation nearly made Rey giggle, but she was able to control herself at the last, crucial second. He gently picked it up, and started to speak; his voice cracking. "Rey. Just Rey. You have given me everything, and I have fallen so deeply in love with you. You risked your own future, your life, to do what you did. I can't…there's no gift that could possibly thank you for your act. But there's one thing I have to give, if you'll take it. My name." He opened his hand, presenting the ring in the palm of his outstretched hand.

Then Rey suddenly became the one unable to form words.

"Marry me." When she didn't answer immediately, he added, desperately, "…please."

The idea that she would ever refuse Ben Solo was inconceivable. She resolutely reached out and placed her hand in his, the ring trapped between them. Their hands tightened as he pulled her in close. When his hand pulled away from hers, she made to complain, but saw he was just taking the ring to place on her finger. He looked at her questioningly and she nodded fervently, her eyes suddenly letting go of tears she did not know were there. He nervously placed the ring on her finger, then embraced her, sighing in her ear. "Thank God."


End file.
